Posts

Showing posts with the label cerebral palsy

It's Been a Weird Week

-
Image
Last weekend, Faith seemed to be struggling with a cold. On Sunday morning, I thought she had slept it off, but unfortunately, it hit full force that evening. Because she was so stuffed up, and had a lot of drainage, she did not sleep well that night. I tried to put her adjustable bed up as much as I could, but it still wasn't enough. Around 3 in the morning I put her in her chair where she slept for a few hours. After I put her back into bed, her sleep was still pretty disruptive. Finally, around 8:30 she had had enough and just wanted to get up for the day.  On Monday, we called to cancel her Tuesday therapy sessions. She was bummed about having to miss aquatic therapy and occupational therapy but took it well. I was trying my best to help her feel better by giving her nose spray (which she was actually asking for), keeping her humidifier going, and also doing this face mask thing that makes steam so that she can breathe it in. She calls it her inhaler.  On Wednesday, she ...
1 comment
Read more

Faith Finally Gets Back to Aquatic Therapy

-
Image
This page contains affiliate links and Faith's Mom may earn a commission if you use them. As an Amazon Associate, Faith's Mom earns from qualifying purchases.  Learn more.   The very first time Faith ever tried aquatic therapy was 2011 when she was 8 years old. When she got into the pool, she cried during the whole session. But in the following weeks, she came to love getting into the warm water. She most likely realized how good it felt to get into the therapy pool, where her tone decreased and she could feel more relaxed. It became the perfect place to do her arm and leg stretches.  Faith enjoying aquatic therapy when she was younger. Aquatic therapy also gave her a chance to get some good exercise and just have fun. It even helped her get used to swimming pools in general. When she traveled, she loved getting into the little kiddie pool. She also liked to go swimming during the summer.  Unfortunately, the aquatic therapy pool eventually closed so she was no longer...
1 comment
Read more

Faith's Blended Diet and Other Things that Help with Her Digestion

-
Image
This page contains affiliate links and Faith's Mom may earn a commission if you use them. As an Amazon Associate, Faith's Mom earns from qualifying purchases.  Learn more.   Ever since Faith was born, she has struggled with her digestion. When she was in the NICU, she would spit up after eating even the tiniest amount of formula. Her dad and I were convinced her tummy was too small to handle large volumes of food. Sometimes when she ate, her heart rate would drop really low, which is why she needed to be in the NICU for longer. She just could not get the hang of eating and breathing at the same time!  Faith receiving food through an NG tube in the NICU.  Grandma giving Faith a bottle when she was 2 months old.  After finally bringing her home, eating continued to be an issue as she struggled with severe reflux and constipation. We tried various formulas, but she was never able to drink enough formula to gain a lot of weight. She also had trouble burping, and she...
2 comments
Read more

Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month: Reflecting On Our Journey So Far

-
Image
Did you know there are 1 million people in the United States who have cerebral palsy? I guess that means Faith truly is one in a million!  Faith was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was six months old. Prior to that, she had been given the diagnosis of Periventricular Leukomalacia  (PVL). During her premature birth, there was a lack of oxygen to her brain, which resulted in damage to the white matter, or inner part of her brain.  I will never forget receiving that news. Faith's Dad and I were told that nobody knew what the long-term effects of PVL would look like for her. All I could do was stare at my tiny daughter lying in her isolette, hooked up to all kinds of tubes and lines, and choose to believe she would be okay.  Faith in the NICU a few days after she was born. After over 70 days in the NICU, we finally took her home to Watford City. There, she would receive regular visits from an Early Intervention team who would assess her and ensure that she met al...
1 comment
Read more

Faith's Summer Recap

-
Image
One of the reasons I look forward to summer is to finally feel the warmth of the sun. Oftentimes spring in North Dakota is a little on the chilly side, and we still have to don our jackets, and sometimes even our boots, depending on how much snow is on the ground. We were blessed this year with a beautiful summer that began in May. We ended up getting lots of rain, so it remained nice and green the entire season.  This summer kicked off with a visit to auntie Dawn's. She had just bought a new house, and Faith couldn't wait to go visit her. Dawn has a really nice back yard, and it ended up being a nice day to just hang out on her back porch!  Faith and Dawn hanging out!  As June rolled around, we made a trip to the zoo , which we hadn't been to in a couple of years. It was nice to walk around in the sunshine, but we noticed the animals weren't really that active. All Faith really wanted to do anyway is take a train ride.  Instead of looking at the animals, though, she...
1 comment
Read more

Faith's First Wheelchair Dance Performance

-
Image
Faith loves going to plays, musicals, ballet performances, and other events in which her friends perform. When she was younger, I thought attending these things would be too overwhelming for her as she has a strong startle reflex. Usually, it's loud or sudden noises that trigger her startle response. However, when the noise is constant, or she knows what to expect, she actually does very well. That's why when I found out that Dreams in Motion was doing wheelchair dance, I figured she would want to do it. When I asked, she enthusiastically said, "YES!"  She was so excited to go to her first practice. She told everyone she saw that she was going to be in a dance performance! During practice, we found out the theme was Encanto (which we have never seen). They were going to be dancing to a medley of songs from the movie. There were about a dozen participants, some with manual wheelchairs and others with powerchairs.  During practice, each of them was paired with a volun...
1 comment
Read more